Stopping the Clock
by HemlockAndy
Summary: AU!Luffy sits at his window each day and wishes for the sun to rise But it never does. The sun never brings on a new day, a new feeling, a new source of happiness. Luffy is stuck in the same time and place, replaying the same scene over and over in his head.


Stopping the Clock

**Disclaimer: I do not own LUFFY**

**Before note: Here is the Ace one-shot I said I was working on. Artwork is done by me. It is based off the second paragraph. **

Nami enters a small dark room. The wooden white door slowly creaks open. The room is spotless. The white floor and walls are evidence of the horrible place Luffy is in. The only enjoyable part of the room is a large glass window that shows the setting sun over their small town. She stands in the doorway and moves her orange hair and fixes her t-shirt. She is nervous.

Luffy has his back to her. Instead of sitting on the white itchy bed, he sits on the floor and leans on the small windowsill. His white gown matches everything else in the room. His black hair stands out. Luffy stares at the sun, which is already mostly below the main houses. He breathes quietly and softly.

Nami walks forward slowly toward Luffy. She does not want to scare Luffy. Usopp did that a few days ago and Luffy had a panic attack. Nami debates on sitting on the itchy bed or on the hard floor. She chooses the hard floor. Nami sets a gently hand on Luffy's shoulder and smiles softly at him. He remains staring at the sun. She goes into the same position and sits there silently, trying to provide her friend comfort.

For the past three weeks, all of her friends had tried this. They spoke to a silent Luffy or fed him. They attempted to get him to speak. It struck everyone's hearts to see his night terrors at night. However, since no one actually saw anything, they couldn't help emotionally.

The horrible incident struck their little town of Goa. Rarely anything exciting happened. Anything that included action generally was on Mt. Corvo, the nearby forest and mountain. No citizen saw the fight, however everyone saw the end results.

Outside the room, the rest of Luffy's friends stand outside in the white hallway. The group of seven are sitting against the wall. Robin is spying through the door. She frowns in concern, causing the rest of the group to sigh. Robin peers through the thin crack of the door and sees Luffy and Nami sitting and not exchanging words. For three weeks she has been spying and trying to catch a glimpse at the future, but she can't seem to grasp it.

Robin hesitantly decides to go inside. The nurse, Ms. Makino said only one at a time, however Robin personally believes Luffy would open up with everyone. The group had been going in one at a time and no results so far. As much as Robin seems the most serious and morbid, she still loves Luffy like an older sister. It pains her to see Luffy stare emotionlessly at the wall and not say a word. The boy used to be so happy. The incident took that joy away. And Robin was determined to get it back.

She glances at the funny-looking group. Six men lean and sit against a wall. They sit silently. Zoro's green unusual hair stands out in the white hall. Usopp wears a bandana and keeps a slingshot for fighting "monsters." Sanji smokes a cigarette and plays with his blond hair. Chopper, the youngest and timidest out of all of them, plays with a stethoscope. Franky has his blue hair in braids. He is sobbing while yelling "super." And Brook is the only one standing. He is the oldest, yet one of the more childish. He is playing a soft tune on his precious violin.

Robin smiles at the thought of what others saw about her. A bratty, morbid woman who spied on others. Yet Luffy took her in as a friend. She was going to get him back to his normal happiness no matter what. And Robin knows the rest of the group will do the same.

Robin speaks and beats around the bush. "We are all going inside."

The results are instantaneous. The group is freaking out about her plan. Everyone heard Makino loud and clear about Luffy's severe post-traumatic stress and how they should proceed with caution, starting with visiting one at a time.

Before anyone can stop her, Robin opens the door. She peers her head in and gives a surprised Nami the "stay there" look. The group follows Robin into the small room. Luffy continues staring at the window.

As the group settles in, Makino passes by an open door. She nearly screams at the sight of nine people visiting. She finally realizes that the group is especially stubborn. She closes the door. The nine friends sit on the floor, hugging Luffy. Luffy continues staring.

Nami speaks quietly yet clearly. "Please Luffy, please. We need you." She repeats this phrase. Soon the whole group is joining in, whispering a desired wish. All they want is for Luffy to return to the real world.

According to Dr. Trafalgar Law, Luffy has the post-traumatic stress because of the incident. What happened would shatter anyone's mind and Luffy is suffering by replaying it consistently in his head. Dr. Law explained that Luffy is constantly rethinking how the incident went and until he understands it enough to speak and open up about it, there is nothing to do.

Soon it is silent. However, Luffy twitches and opens his mouth about to say something, but closes it. To many, it may seem like a disappointment, but for the group, they are pleased. This means Luffy is near a point of opening up. All they have to do is wait.

The sun sets and the moon slowly takes its place in the sky. The eight friends surround Luffy and give him support, even though he does not know it. For now, all they can do is wait.

_ Luffy cheerfully runs next to an older male. He grins at the freckled man with an orange cowboy hat. Luffy watches the local bakery and meat store go by. He freezes and runs back, the older trailing behind. They stop and buy a link of sausage. Luffy laughs as he splits it into two and gives half to his brother, Ace. The man is two years older than the teen and wishes to become a captain of a ship. Luffy follows the same dream. Together, they had played pirates many times before on Mt. Corvo. _

_ As the duo eats and walks, Luffy spots no townsfolk around. Despite being known as carefree didn't mean he did not observe. Luffy hesitantly calls out his brother's name, a name that will always make him secure and happy. Ace stops and freezes. He knows something Luffy does not. The next words start the whole mess. "I know you are there Teach," Ace says with venom in his voice. _

_ The man being addressed to is standing on the roof of the local salon. He has an evil and creepy felling and when he smiles, missing teeth show. "It's Blackbeard." He claims. "Wasn't I nice? I sent all the citizens out of the are." Ace did not reply. Luffy slowly backed up. _

_ Unfortunately, Ace was part of a gang in Mariejois, the largest city in the area. It was called the Whitebeard gang. Luffy had seen them once in the city and hated them. He despised these people holding Ace back from his dream. Blackbeard hops down and creates a large thud sound. He stalks toward Ace. "I haven't had a good fight in a while." He says before lunging at Ace._

_ Luffy steps back. Ace skillfully dodges it and throws a punch. Blackbeard defends and this rally goes on for a while. Luffy wants to interfere however he does not know his brother's plan. After a while, Blackbeard decides to spice it up. Despite his plump body, he throws a long kick. It catches Ace of guard and he falls over. _

_ Luffy rushes in and throws in a few moves of his own. He studies fighting, but Ace was better. Blackbeard seemed surprised by Luffy's interference. Luffy uses a short sharp punch that hits Blackbeard in the stomach. He recovers and sends Luffy flying by a more powerful punch. Ace steps in, determined to end it. _

_ A loud whistle interrupts the fight. The fighters look up on the now-occupied salon roof. A blond-haired male with a purple tattoo on his chest had been watching them like a hawk._

_ "Marco!" Ace yelled. "Back off! I can handle this!" Marco appears to shrug at Ace's known stubbornness. Blackbeard takes the brief moment to punch Ace. Ace blames it on Marco. "See pineapple-head! You are making me lose my fight!" _

_ Blackbeard is clearly winning. Ace is tired from pointless punches he threw earlier and was distracted. Blackbeard whips out a small knife and stabs Ace with it. He causes pain by twisting and then pulling it out. Ace stumbles to the ground and clutches his arm. Luffy rushed toward Ace, ignoring Blackbeard. He tries to help defend Ace. _

_ Marco leaps down and keeps Blackbeard busy. Luffy rips off his sleeve of his famous red cardigan and wraps it around Ace's arm. He is concentrating so hard, he barely hears Ace's warning. Ace shoves Luffy out of the way, making him scrap himself on the road. _

_ When Luffy looks up, he sees his brother being stabbed through the chest. Luffy stares in horror. Ace is in the spot he was supposed to be in. Blackbeard leaves the knife in and grins in satisfaction. Marco distracts him, tears swelling in his eyes. Luffy grasps Ace and tries to pull out the knife. Ace stops him. "Live our dream okay? I want you to sail the world and see the entire ocean. Leave Goa. See the other side." _

_ Luffy protests and is now supporting Ace up. "But you can't die!" He yells. Marco comes back and sees the tragic scene. He bows his head in sorrow. "Thank you for being my brother." Ace says. _

_ Then he smiles and moves no more. Luffy vaguely remembers the townsfolk come and see a dead man being supported by his brother. They immediately call Smoker, the chief of police. Marco explains while Luffy remains in a state of daze. Until he realizes Ace is truly dead. _

Luffy mummers "Marco." Nami, who is the closest, leans in. She hears Luffy repeat the word Marco over and over again. It had some significance to the incident. It had to be. The citizens of Goa had spent three weeks worried about a massive killer. Robin quietly gets up and gathers Zoro, Sanji, and Franky. The remaining are to stay and watch Luffy.

Robin takes them to Luffy and Ace's house. The group earlier had scavenged through the house, trying to find clues. Now that they had information, they could find something new.

Robin checks Ace's messy bedroom. She looks under beds and in drawers. She dares to look into the horrifyingly messy closet. Absolutely nothing. Just when Robin feels about hopeless, Franky yells from the kitchen next door.

The outdated kitchen has food and bugs buzzing everywhere. Robin disregards the mess as a typical thing in the household. Franky is holding a black little booklet. He is happily waving it in the air.

"It was under the sink. It is a contact book. Super!" He yells. Robin takes it and flips to M. She finds the first name on the page, Marco. There is an address and phone number. Robin grins for the first time in weeks. Now they have a chance of figuring out what happened.

_ Luffy cheerfully ran next to an older male. He grins, at the freckled man with an orange cowboy hat. Luffy closes his eyes and feels the wind on his face. Despite being a dark and gloomy day, the weather is fine. _

_ Ace, the older male, laughs at Luffy's antics. His pure dumb luck has gotten them in trouble before and Luffy believes he is just special. He continues running until he knocks into someone. Luffy falls onto the road. _

_ The figure is a scary one. He is extremely tall with an evil aura. He grins too widely, showing many missing teeth. He leans to help Luffy up and Luffy brushes it off. Ace is frozen still. _

_ "Long time no see!" The man says. He looks at Ace. "How is Whitebeard?" He questions._

_ Luffy is puzzled. He remembers a tiny bit of what Ace said about his gang. It was called the Whitebeard gang. And the only reason Ace was in it in the first place was to raise money to complete his dream of traveling the ocean. _

_ "Go away," Ace hisses. "I don't like your face, you traitor." He spits out the word traitor like devil._

_ The man is unfazed. "It is Blackbeard, not traitor. I was positive you knew that." Ace grits his teeth. As a brother, Luffy knows Blackbeard is trying to agitate Ace's temper. The more Ace got angry, the sloppier fighting. And Blackbeard knows that._

_ "You killed Thatch!" Ace yells. Luffy can't stand it anymore. He is positive Blackbeard is bad. Using his leg, Luffy kicks Blackbeard. Blackbeard stumbles. He then punches an unready Luffy into a building. Ace defends his brother using hand-to-hand combat._

_ Luffy gets up slowly and attacks side-by-side with Ace. They push Blackbeard back, further toward the edge of town. Many townsfolk nearby scatter. Blackbeard decisively pulls out a short knife, a stabbing knife. He stabs Ace's arm and reaches for Luffy. Luffy ducks. He jumps back to avoid another swipe before tripping and falling onto his back. He sees Blackbeard raising his arm and preparing. _

_ Luffy closes his eyes. It never comes. He opens them to see Ace, lying on top of him, his back stabbed. Before Luffy can do anything, Blackbeard attempts to strike again._

_ A blond-haired man with a purple tattoo on his chest defends the brothers. He preoccupies Blackbeard. _

_ Luffy gets up and gently lays Ace on his stomach on the road. He applies pressure to the wound, however too much blood has already been lost. Ace moves his head and whispers to Luffy._

_ . "Live our dream okay? I want you to sail the world and see the entire ocean. Leave Goa. See the other side." He mummers. Then Ace lays still. _

_ Luffy gets angry. He rushes toward Blackbeard and punches him so hard, Blackbeard goes flying through a restaurant. He tries to go after him, however the man stops him._

_ "I am Marco. Ace was my friend, my coworker from the Whitebeard gang. I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner." Luffy nods. _

_ Chief of Police, Smoker runs up to the duo. He sees Ace's corpse and gives a silent goodbye. _

"Yes I did see the killer," Marco says. Robin and Zoro interrogate him in Mariejois on the street. The empty park has many park benches. The two spotted him on his way home and Zoro chased him to the park. Robin forcefully pushes Marco into a bench. She leans into Marco's ear.

"You will tell me right now or else my friend will cut off your hand," Robin threatens. She nods to Zoro, who draws out his shiny katana. He poises it over Marco's left hand. The stoic man flinches.

"Blackbeard," He replies. Zoro sheaths the katana. Robin races to a nearby pay phone, in close proximity to Marco, and drops some coins in.

"Hello? May I please speak with the Mental Institution of Goa?"

Nami cradles Luffy's head on her lap. She believes touch is the best sense for anything. Everyone else is on lunch break. Luffy turns violently in her lap and mumbles "Blackbeard." Nami freezes before leaning in closer. Luffy keeps repeating "Blackbeard." She gently lays him on the floor and walks over to the bed. Nami pulls off a blanket and covers Luffy with it. Then she proceeds to the front desk.

A dark green-haired woman rushes toward Nami. Ms. Makino spots Nami and grabs her wrist and drags her to the staff facility. She hands Nami the corded phone.

"Hello?"

"Nami, we know." Robin's voice sounds solemn.

"Is it Blackbeard?" Nami questions. "Luffy was mumbling the name."

"Indeed. I will see you at the hospital." The line goes dead.

Nami set aside the phone and went back to the room. She had never heard of Blackbeard however she knows the name sounds evil.

Robin walks back to Marco. She looks at him with anger in her eyes. "Whose Blackbeard?" She slit out. Marco is silent before saying, "Ask Whitebeard."

Robin gasps. Whitebeard is a notorious gang. She knows they were violent and very dangerous, however she could not figure out how Luffy and Ace fit in. Marco then drops the bomb.

"Ace is a leader. He was targeted." Marco begins explaining. He describes in great detail all of Ace's assignments. Some are petty like stealing from a store, however larger jobs included robbing banks and assassinating.

Robin felt a special resemblance toward Ace. They were both on the wrong path, Robin had been a spy, and then she met Luffy. Luffy had the ability to heal her. She needed to save Luffy.

"Tell me what happened." She demanded.

_ "Wake up Ace!" Luffy whacks Ace with a pillow. He laughs. The two share an early pillow fight before going to the basement. The basement is set up as an arena. Here Ace teaches his brother the necessary fighting skills. After practice, they eat lunch. _

_ There is a knock on the door. Suddenly Luffy is hit with a wave of horrible gut feelings. He soon realizes why. "Ace!" He yells. "Stop!" He is seconds to late. _

_ Luffy runs to the front door to see a large chubby man who smiles with missing teeth. He invites himself in. _

_ "How do you know where I live?" Ace says slowly and angrily. The man merely grins. He sees Luffy and turns to Ace. "You did not mention a brother." He says, not concerned at all. _

_ "Get out!" Luffy yells. "Get out!" The man kicks Luffy in the chin. He goes flying into the wall. This stirs Ace. The following scuffle includes punches and kicks. Luffy joins in, adding an occasional aid. The man grins as if he planned this. _

_ "It is Blackbeard by the way Ace, not Teach," Blackbeard throws a nearby lamp at Ace. He barely dodges it. Luffy gets knocked over by a chair. The house is a mess. _

_ Blackbeard reveals his prize weapon, a small undetectable dagger. He stabs Ace's arm with it. Ace howls in pain. Luffy attempts to get up. He struggles. Blackbeard nears and strikes at the unsuspecting victim._

_ "Ace!" Someone yells. Luffy looks up and sees a sharp silver point embedded in Ace's chest. He sees Blackbeard behind him. Ace falls forward. Luffy catches him and hugs him. "Ace," He manages to say. "Please don't die." Luffy starts crying. Ace leans in and mummers, "Live our dream okay? I want you to sail the world and see the entire ocean. Leave Goa. See the other side." _

_ Luffy sobs. He and Ace always wanted to sail the world. Now Ace could not. Blackbeard scoffs before leaving through the front door. A blond-haired man comes down the nearby stairs. "I'm sorry. I wasn't able to stop it." Luffy keeps staring at Ace. "What is your name?" He questions. "Marco."_

"You couldn't stop it?" Robin furiously says. "It sounds like you let it happen!" She shouts in pure anger. If Marco had tried a little harder, maybe, just maybe Luffy would not be like this. Zoro holds her back. He mummers about spectators who might be watching.

"I don't care!" Robin snapped. Zoro gave her a shocked look. Robin knew she was acting very different from her calm and serious self. But this was about Luffy, the one who helped her onto the right path.

"Can I see Luffy?" Marco questions. "I saw Ace die. He was my friend too." Zoro gives her the "let him" glare and Robin openly agrees. They take an hour bus ride to Goa.

Nami and the others sit in Luffy's quiet room. Ms. Makino finally let all of them in. She had been very hesitant. Brook quietly plays the violin while Chopper is preforming a small checkup. Usopp and Franky are fixing the squeaky bed. Sanji is in the kitchen of the hospital. Nami sits at the window and strokes Luffy's hair. He is laying his head on her lap like a child.

"I wish he would speak. Hold a conversation. Look at me eye-to-eye!" Nami shouts. Everyone in the room silently agrees. It is so odd, having a silent Luffy. Having him not say a word and thrash at night from a horrible ordeal. They all feel helpless.

The room suddenly bursts open, scaring everyone but Luffy. Robin and Zoro step in with determination in their eyes. A blond-haired man follows. Robin leans toward Nami and whispers, "He witnessed the murder." Nami's eyes grow wide.

Marco sits on the floor next to Luffy. He helps Luffy sit up and then Marco's dark eyes pierce Luffy's. Luffy stares blankly at him before showing signs of shock in his eyes. Nami is about to yank Luffy away.

"Stop!" Marco commanded. "I see something."

Luffy's eyes are filled with terror and shock. Marco can only imagine what's going through his head.

_ Ace and Luffy sit cheerfully on the creaky bus. They traveled to Fushia village for a mellow trip. The village was on the ocean and Luffy and Ace loved water masses. Ace and Luffy decided to become captains of ships that traveled the world. However their fantasy was over. They now sat back on their way home. _

_ Luffy looked out and saw the familiar buildings of Goa. Goa was a bustling village filled with life. Luffy noticed Ace never took his eyes off a certain passenger. The blond-haired male was staring at several buildings. Luffy questioned his brother's mentality. _

_ Suddenly the bus stopped. Luffy and Ace were sent flying forward. The sound of people crying echoed in their ears. Luffy noticed the blond man was lying on the ground. He was bleeding. Ace crawled through the wreckage. Luffy saw they had crashed into an alley between a nice office building and a large warehouse. Ace quickly ran to the warehouse. Unscathed, Luffy follows._

_ The warehouse is completely empty. Ace seems to know where he is going though. He runs to a side and begins tracing his hand against the wall. Luffy imitates. Ace's hand runs against a certain line and Luffy hears a click. He knew Ace was in a gang but Ace said he did was steal. Luffy now suspected more. A small door in the wall becomes visible and swings open. Ace is about to go in when he slams it shut. Loud cackling booms throughout the warehouse. _

_ A man appears in front of them. His missing teeth and uncombed hair, plus the horrible stench made Luffy suspect he was a gang member. He throws a kick to Ace who barely dodges it. "Blackbeard," Ace hisses. His eyes glare daggers at the said man. _

_ Blackbeard responds by kicking Luffy. He crashes into the wall. Ace stares in anger. Blackbeard mocks Luffy's skill, clearly knowing Ace's stubborn urge to stand up for someone. "He is ten times stronger than you!" Ace responds. He yells before punching Blackbeard. Blackbeard lets Ace hit him before grasping Ace's arm. Ace struggles. Blackbeard takes out a shiny dagger, prepared to launch it into Ace's arm, when Luffy attacks, knocking the dagger out of his hand. Ace frees himself._

_ "Run." Ace yells. "Run Luffy!" Luffy glares at his brother determined to get him and his brother out alive. "I will stay and fight! You need me!" He yells. _

_ "Ace!" Blackbeard is standing behind Ace, a shiny dagger lodged in Ace's chest. Because of Luffy's argument, Blackbeard took advantage. Luffy rushes to Ace, unaware of Blackbeard. He clutches Ace, determined to not let him die. The blond man from earlier knocks Blackbeard off his feet. He is bleeding from his head. But Luffy pays no attention. _

_ He stares at Ace, who is now kneeling across from him in a hug. "Ace," Luffy cries his brother's name. "Live our dream okay? I want you to sail the world and see the entire ocean. Leave Goa. See the other side." Ace smiles before calmly takes a breath. Luffy clutches Ace, aware of Ace's red blood spilling. The blond man stands next to Luffy. "I got rid of Blackbeard. The coward ran. I'm Marco." Luffy briefly acknowledges Marco. _

Luffy takes a deep breath, sparking a reaction within his friends. Before all they got was slow quiet breaths in a dream-like state. He was waking up.

For the first time in three weeks, Nami was able to look at Luffy's eyes and see emotion. It may be terror, but it was better then empty devoid eyes. He gazes at Marco and lets out a startled cry. He is reacting, but in a bad way.

Luffy seems to enter a nigh-terror state. He flails and throws his arms and legs all over. He silently screams and tears run down his face. Everyone feels a deep pain in their chest. Robin rushes out and returns moments later with Makino and doctors. One brings a stretcher. Before Nami can do anything, they rip Luffy out of her grasp. She hears the words "Hospital" and "Insane."

A local hospital is next door. Goa is known for its healthy citizens and well-educated doctors. There is a major hospital that aids anyone and many health buildings around it. The Mental Institution of Goa is one example.

Nami sits glued to the floor as the doctors take a struggling Luffy away. She glances at the large window, showing the setting sun of the third week and third day of Luffy's stay in the mental hospital. The thought brings tears to her eyes. The large group remains frozen in their places. Then they see Nami crying. One by one, they gather into a circle and lean on each other and cry. Marco watches the magic of true friendship.

_ "Ace?" Luffy questions. "Where are we going?" He and his brother Ace are walking down a residential area of Goa. Ace is silent. He confidently walks up to a neutral-colored home with a cheerful vibe. Ace knocks twice before turning to Luffy. "A friend." He says before the door opens. _

_ It reveals a blond-haired man with a large tattoo on his chest. Luffy remembers the mark from Ace's back. His brother belongs to a gang called Whitebeard and Luffy knows about Ace's jobs. Especially the dangerous ones. The man smiles warmly at Luffy. "I'm Marco. Ace told me all about you." _

_ Luffy only nods before inviting himself in. He looks around the small hallway. The many doors include the kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms, however Marco leads the brothers to the end of the hall, where a glass door shows the small backyard with fertile grass. Marco opens the door and steps outside into the cloudy weather. Luffy and Ace join. Marco glances around before stepping in and whispering to Ace. Luffy catches a few words, but is unable to distinguish the conversation. _

_ Suddenly part of the fence is knocked down. A tall man with a wicked smile and missing teeth stands before them. He sends a quick kick to Marco and he flies into the house. Marco collapses. Ace bares his teeth before launching himself at the man. "Blackbeard!" He yells in anger. _

_ Luffy decides to help Marco. His brother is one of the strongest fighters he has ever known. Marco appears unconscious. Luffy hears a cry and sees Ace on his knees. Blackbeard holds a knife out and attempts to stab him. Ace barely dodges. Luffy interferes by whacking Blackbeard with a nearby stone. The man growls at Luffy. _

_ Ace is released and Blackbeard scrambles to Luffy. Luffy throws a punch, keeping Blackbeard at bay. Blackbeard throws a surprise kick and Luffy goes flying. Blackbeard raises his weapon against a defenseless boy. But it hits someone else instead. Ace stands in front of his brother, shielding him from the blow. A gasp from a conscious Marco alerts Blackbeard. He heads to finish off Marco._

_ Luffy stares at his brother's back. He kneels in front of Ace, noticing all of the blood. He hears Ace mummer something. "Live our dream okay? I want you to sail the world and see the entire ocean. Leave Goa. See the other side." Ace smiles. Luffy feels sorrow that Ace won't be able to sail the world. He cries, his tears mixing with Ace's blood. He feels Ace's dying heartbeats. Then all is silent. Marco comes back and bows his head. "I am sorry I couldn't do anything." Luffy merely leans against a corpse._

Makino comes into the room. She smiles fondly at the group. "Luffy is stable and is now resting. You can go see him."

Robin leads the way as she speed-walks out the mental institution, across the sidewalk, and into the hospital. After finding out the room number from a kind nurse, the group bursts through the door. Marco is the first to react. "Blackbeard!"

The cruel murderer is standing next to a sleeping Luffy. He has his shiny knife with dry blood. He grins as he sees the crew. "Hello, I am..."

"We know who you are!" Robin shouts. "Marco told us! You killed Ace only because of his infiltration with the Whitebeard gang!" The group is in a fighting stance in the small room. Zoro readies his swords. The rest prepare for hand-to-hand contact. Marco steps forward to speak.

"As a member of the Whitebeard gang, I have been ordered to kill the murderer of

Ace on sight!" He says formally. Blackbeard sees the nine willing to fight and cowardly yanks Luffy into a headlock position. He wakes up, blinking sleep out of his eyes.

"You will let me out!" Blackbeard weakly commands. "I have a hostage!" Luffy is now wide awake. He is filled with life, not dull and doll-like. He sees Blackbeard and immediately recognizes him. He also sees his friends. Determined not to let anyone die, he violently bites Blackbeard's meaty arm. Blackbeard howls in pain before punching Luffy. Luffy feels weak.

Zoro and Sanji step forward. Sanji aims for the legs with a kick and Zoro swings his swords towards Blackbeard's head. Blackbeard ducks and misses Zoro's attack but forgets about Sanji's. The master

chef and fighter hits Blackbeard's shin, sending a cracking sound through the room. Marco pulls out

a handgun. Nami notices that it is loaded.

Blackbeard holds Luffy as a shield. He is on his knees."Don't shoot!" He yells."Or else I will mark his face!" Blackbeard poises his dagger over Luffy's eye. Marco takes the threat lightly and cocks the gun. Nami realizes he will shoot, whether he misses or not. She knock the gun out, Blackbeard is startled and plunges the dagger under Luffy's eye. He howls in pain, the loudest sound he has made within the three weeks. Chopper grits his teeth, trying to calculate how deep.

Sanji gets close enough and kicks a surprised Blackbeard. The knife skids to the floor. Zoro takes the advantage and runs behind the larger man. Three swords plunge into Blackbeard, missing important organs but painful enough. Everyone stares defiantly at the near-dead man.

Blackbeard drops Luffy and collapses on his stomach. Robin picks Luffy up. She and Nami supprot him. The rest stand offensively around them.

Blackbeard writhers in pain, his back covered in his own blood. Everyone knows he will die soon. Before anyone can stop him, Marco shoots his now-recovered gun. He hits Blackbeard's pained forehead.

A loud scream follows. A group of nurses stand in the doorway and witness the shooting. Marco curses.

That night, Luffy receives stitches for his eye wound. He is safely returned to his home and hia friends help him recover. Marco is taken to prison for murder.

Luffy and his friends visit Ace's grave the next day. His grave reads "Portgas D. Ace" in elegant carved letters done by Usopp. Franky had carved the stone. Af Marco's trial, his final statement was "Now rest in peace Ace. Rest in peace."

Three years later, Luffy and his friends are on their ship, Thousand Sunny. They are now halfway around the world. Luffy and his friends chose to sail around the world for their dreams. They have had many adventures, and have many more to come.

Luffy looks boldly to the front and sees the rising sun. He sees Ace sitting on the lion figurehead and smiling. Luffy is completing his dream.

**So this is one of those, read three or four different versions of one scene kind-of-story. I did not go into too much blood (hopefully) and hope you like it!**

**Ü**


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